Shock absorbing formation in scored can ends



July 5, 1966 5. BQZEK ETAL 3,259,267

SHOCK ABSORBING FORMATION IN SCORED CAN ENDS Filed 00? 1, 1962 INVENTORS JOHN S.E oze\ & BY LEuMsF. Iszumo wa rfl, M 347-147 AT OQMEYS United States Patent 3,259,267 SHOCK AESORBING FORMATION IN SORED CAN ENDS John S. iiozek, Chicago, and Lewis F. Irland, Hinsdale, 111., assignors to Continental Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Get. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 227,216 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in the construction of cans, and more particularly relates to a novel can end construction for permitting the accidental rupture of can ends due to the shock of dropping cans on the seam thereof.

Many cans contain contents which are relatively heavy. As a result, should uch cans be dropped from any height, and the cans strike upon the seams thereof, there is a deformation of the seam with a resultant pressure being exerted upon the end panels of the can ends. The end panels of the can ends so deformed are subject to rupturing, particularly when the end panels are provided with Weakening or score lines to facilitate the opening of the cans.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a novel can end which is formed with a peripheral bead extending between the end panel of the can end and the chuck wall thereof, with the bead extending around the end panel and being shock absorbing in nature.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel can end of the type which includes an end panel having a score line to facilitate the opening thereof, the can end being of a shock absorbing formation in that it differs from previous can ends by the provision of a peripheral bead around the end panel and adjacent to the chuck wall of the can end so that any deformation of the chuck wall will be absorbed by the bead in lieu of being directed into the end panel so as to prevent the stressing of the end panel in such a manner to effect rupturing thereof along the score line.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel can construction adapted to receive a relatively heavy content, such as a ham, the can being provided with a can end of a shock absorbing formation, and the can end differing from conventional can ends in that a bead is provided intermediate the end panel and the chuck wall of the can end, the bead being capable of collapsing upon deformation of the chuck wall when the can is dropped upon a seam thereof so as to prevent the distribution of shock stresses to the end panel and thus preventing accidental rupturing of the end panel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a can for relatively heavy contents, such as hams, and which can is of the type having an easy opening end, the can end including an end panel which is provided with a peripheral weakening or score line to facilitate the removal of a major portion of the end panel and thus the dispensing of the contents of the can, the can end also being secured to the can body by means of a conventional seam and including a chuck wall, the can end being distinguished from prior can ends by the provision of a bead which surrounds the end panel and is disposed intermediate the end panel and the chuck wall for absorbing shocks resulting from the deformation of the chuck wall such as would occur when the can is dropped upon its seam.

With the above and other objects in view that Will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing:

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a can formed in accord ance with this invention and shows the general outline of the can end thereof.

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FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 andshows the specific details of the can end and its connection to the can body, an intermediate portion of the can being omitted for purposes of clarity.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View taken through an edge portion of the can and shows the manner in which the bead of the can end will absorb shock when the can is dropped upon the seam thereof and the seam is distorted.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated a can formed in accordance with this invention, the can being generally referred to by the numeral 5. The can 5 is generally of a conventional construction and includes a conventional can body 6 which has the opposite ends thereof closed by means of can ends of which only a can end 7 is illustrated. The can end 7 is of a special shock absorbing formation, in accordance with this invention.

At this time, it is pointed out that the can end 7 is of the easy opening type, and normally speaking, the other can ends (not shown) of the can 5 will not be of the easy opening type and may be of a conventional type, although it may embody the shock absorbing formation of this invention.

The can end 7 is secured to the can body 6 by means of a conventional type of double seam 8 and includes an end panel 9 which may be of any desired reinforced configuration. The end panel 9 is provided with a weakening or score line 10 which extends generally about the periphery of the end panel 9. It is to be noted that due to the particular configuration of the can 5, the end panel 9 is elongated and one end portion thereof is provided with a pull tab or handle 11 to facilitate the tearing out of that portion of the end panel 9 defined by the weakening line 10.

In a conventional can construction of the general type illustrated in the drawing, the end panel 9 would continue substantially to a chuck wall 12 which is part of the double seam 8 and which lies in face-to-face engagement with the interior surface of the can body 6. The end panel 9 is normally connected to the chuck wall by a side wall radius (not shown), and the chuck wall 12 is oftentimes called a side wall. However, with the conventional type of end construction, when the can is dropped on the seam thereof, due to weight of the contents of the can, the seam 8 is inwardly deformed, as is shown in FIGURE 3.. This inward deformation of the seam 8 results in the inward deformation of an adjacent portion of the can body 6 and the chuck wall 12. The inward deformation of the chuck wall 12 and the shock resulting therefrom result in the stressing of an adjacent portion of the can end 9 with the result that the can end 9 is ruptured, particularly if the can end 9 is provided with a weakening line 10.

In accordance with this invention, it is proposed to strengthen the can end 7 and make it of a shock absorbing formation. This is accomplished by terminating the end panel 9 in spaced relation to the chuck wall 12, and providing an inwardly directed bead, generally referred to by the numeral 13, between the end panel 9 and the chuck wall 12. This bead is clearly shown in FIGURE 2. The bead 13 is defined by a lower chuck wall extension 14, an outwardly sloping expansion panel 15 and a bead radius 16 which connects the expansion panel 15 to the chuck wall extension 14.

Referring once again to FIGURE 3, it will be seen that when the can 5 is dropped upon the seam 8 thereof, and there is an inward deformation of a portion of the can including a portion of the chuck wall 12, there is a slight collapsing and deformation of the bead 13, with the result that the stresses which are normally transmitted to the end panel 9 are absorbed by the bead 13 and no undue stressing of the end panel 9 results. Therefore, although the end panel 9 is provided with the score or weakening line 10, the deformation of the can 5 caused by normal dropping will not result in the undue stressing of the can end 7 to effect the rupture of the end panel 9 along the weakening line 10.

At this time it is pointed out that although the shock absorbing formation has been illustrated and described with respect to a can specifically adapted for the packaging of a ham, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited, although it is obvious that ham cans do receive stresses which are much greater than the stresses imposed upon other cans having easy opening ends. It is also to be understood that the shock absorbing formation, that is, the provision of the bead 13, is not limited to can ends which have weakening lines although the need for such a shock absorbing formation is much greater with can ends having weakened areas than normally constructed can ends.

Although a preferred embodiment of the can construction of this invention has been specifically illustrated and described, it is to be understood that minor modifications may be made in the shock absorbing formation of the can construction within the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims,

We claim:

1. A can end comprising an end panel and a peripheral attaching portion adapted to be united with a can body in a rigid and permanent seam, said end panel having a removable panel portion defined by a score line with said panel portion being removable by tearing said end panel along said score line and said end panel being subject to premature rupture along said score line when accidentally deformed, said peripheral attaching portion including an upstanding chuck wall; a shock absorbing bead disposed intermediate said end panel and said chuck wall and surrounding said end panel, said shock absorbing bead permitting accidental deformation of said chuck wall without rupture of said end panel along said score line, said head being defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion panel connected to said end panel, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension.

2. A can construction comprising a can body and a can end secured to said can body by a permanent and rigid seam, said can end including an end panel having a removable panel portion defined by a score line with said panel portion being removable by tearing said end panel along said score line and said end panel being subject to premature rupture along said score line when accidentally deformed, said seam including a chuck wall, said end panel and said chuck wall being telescoped within said can body with said chuck wall in abutting engagement with the interior of said can body, and said can end having a pcripheral bead disposed intermediate said end panel and said chuck wall and surrounding said end panel to absorb shock from said end panel when said can is dropped on said seam and said chuck wall is deformed to prevent deformation of said end panel and accidental rupturing of said end panel along said score line.

3. The can of claim 2 wherein said bead is defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion panel connected to said end panel, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension.

4. The can of claim 2 wherein said bead is defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion panel connected to said end panel, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension, said expansion panel being frusto-conical and sloping upwardly and inwardly whereby when said chuck wall is accidentally deformed inwardly said expansion panel will merely bend relative to said end panel at said bead radius to a more upright position and thereby prevent the transfer of shock to said end panel except for said bending.

5. The can of claim 2 wherein said bead is defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion lpanel connected to said end panel, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension, said expansion panel being frusto-conical and sloping upwardly and inwardly whereby when said chuck wall is accidentally deformed inwardly said expansion panel will merely bend relative to said end panel at said bead radius to a more upright position and thereby prevent the transfer of shock to said end panel except for said bending, said score line being spaced inwardly of said bead radius whereby flexing of the can end along said bead radius in no way affects said score line.

6. A can construction comprising a can body and a can end secured to said can body by a permanent and rigid seam, said can end including a generally planar end panel having a removable panel portion defined by a score line with said panel portion being removable by tearing said end panel along said score line and said end panel being subject to premature rupture along said score line when accidentally deformed, said seam including a chuck wall, said end panel and said chuck Wall being telescoped within said can body and said chuck wall in abutting engagement with the interior of said can body and said can end having a peripheral bead disposed intermediate said end panel and said chuck wall and surrounding said end panel in depending relation to absorb shock from said end panel when said can is dropped on said seam and said chuck wall is deformed to prevent rupturing of said end panel along said score line, a downwardly and outwardly directed bead radius connection directly between said peripheral bead and said end panel, and said score line being spaced inwardly of said bead radius connection.

7. A can construction comprising a can body and a can end rigidly and permanently secured to said can body by a seam, said can end including a recessed end panel having a score line formed therein defining a removable tear out portion, the can end also including a chuck wall forming part of said seam and telescoped within said can body in abutting engagement with the interior of said can body, said can end further having a depending peripheral shock absorbing bead disposed intermediate said end panel and said chuck wall and surrounding said end panel, at least a portion of said score line being disposed adjacent said shock absorbing bead and said shock absorbing bead being defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion panel connected to said end panel outwardly of said score line, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension with said can end being capable of deformation along said shock absorbing bead only when the can is dropped on said seam and the seam is inwardly deflected, whereby distortion of said end panel sufi'icicnt to rupture said end panel along said score line is prevented.

8. A can construction comprising a can body and a can end rigidly and permanently secured to said can body by a seam, said can end including a recessed end panel having a score line formed therein defining a removable tear out portion, the can end also including a chuck wall forming part of said seam and telescoped within said can body in abutting engagement with the interior of said can body, said can end further having a depending peripheral shock absorbing bead disposed intermediate said end panel and said chuck wall and surrounding said end panel, at least a portion of said score line being disposed adjacent said shock absorbing bead and said shock absorbing bead being defined by an extension of said chuck wall, an expansion panel connected to said end panel outwardly of said score line, and a bead radius connecting said expansion panel to said chuck wall extension, said expansion panel being frusto-conical and sloping upwardly and inwardly whereby when said chuck wall is accidentally deformed inwardly due to the deformation of said seam such as by dropping of the can on said seam, said expansion panel will merely bend relative to said end panel at said bead radius to a more upright position and thereby prevent the transfer of shock to said end. panel except for said bending of said expansion panel.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 1,230,813 4/1960 France.

369,129 7/1931 Great Britain. Kronquest 2205 18,084 8/ 1908 Norway.

Llungstmm et 22052 5 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. Conner 22072 EARLE J. DRUMMOND, G. E. LOWRANCE, Hodgson 22054 Assistant Examiners. 

1. A CAN END COMPRISISNG AN END PANEL AND A PERIPPHERAL ATTACHING PORTION ADAPTED TO BE UNITED WITH A CAN BODY IN A RIGID AND PERMANENT SEAM, SAID END PANEL HAVING A REMOVABLE PANEL PORTION DEFINED BY A SCORE LINE WITH SAID PANEL PORTION BEING REMOVABLE BY TEARING SAID END PANEL ALONG SAID SCORE LINE AND SAID END PANEL BEING SUBJECT TO PREMATURE RUPTURE ALONG SAID SCORE LINE WHEN ACCIDENTALLY DEFORMED, SAID PERIPHERAL ATTACHING PORTION INCLUDING AN UPSTANDING CHUCK WALL; A SHOCK ABSORBING BEAD DISPOSED 